The Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 until 1986, offered television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) viewers a mixture of romance, light comedy, exotic locations, and celebrities. Producer Aaron Spelling (1928–) crafted the hour-long anthology series. Each week, the show interwove three romantic plots occurring on the fictional Pacific Princess cruise ship. A cast of recurring actors portrayed the ship's crew while an assortment of Hollywood legends, hasbeens, and up-and-comers were featured as the ship's celebrity passengers. Critics dismissed The Love Boat as TV at its most average in quality, but audiences enjoyed the fluffy program. They made it a permanent part of their Saturday-night viewing for nearly a decade.

The Love Boat was originally based on a novel by Jeraldine Saunders, a former cruise-ship director. The crew of the Pacific Princess was played by a blend of veteran and younger...